News Headlines

More IT raids on Jadeja; Azhar grilled

New Delhi, Aug 1: Continuing with their operation against cricketers, Income Tax officials on Tuesday raided the house of Ajay Jadeja here and interrogated former India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin and his wife Sangeeta Bijlani at his Hyderabad residence in connection with the match-fixing scandal.

Both the cricketers, who were absent when the IT and CBI sleuths, searched their houses as part of "Operation Gentleman" - the nation-wide raids on past and present cricketers, administrators and bookies on July 20. The two, along with Nikhil Chopra whose Delhi residence was also searched, had gone to London to participate in a charity match on July 29.

Both Azhar and Jadeja were waylaid by the IT officials at the airport itself and were frisked by the officials. They were later taken to their houses and questioned.

Later, speaking to reporters at his Greater Kailash residence, Jadeja said the IT officials asked him some questions and he answered them to the best of his knowledge. The Indian middle-order batsman claimed that the IT officials confiscated his laptop at the airport when he returned from London last night but however said he had no problems with the raid as the "officials were only doing their job."

Jadeja scotched rumours that he owned a farmhouse outside Delhi and said he only possessed some farmland besides a "barsati" in Defence Colony. The cricketer however was confident that things would turn for the better soon. "Eveything would be clear after the IT people submit their report. The truth will prevail," he said.

"Some people had come to question him today, but I don't know whether they were from IT or CBI," a woman, who claimed she was Jadeja's "relative", said when go4cricket.com tried to contact the cricketer at his residence. She said Jadeja was not at home to confirm the interrogation.

In Hyderabad, about 10 IT officials whisked away Azhar and Sangeeta Bijlani from the Begumpet airport to their Banjara Hills residence where they were asked to open the lockers that were sealed during the July 20 raids.

Both Azhar and Jadeja have faced allegations of match-fixing in the past and have denied them.

South African captain Hansie Cronje has said Azhar had introduced him to alleged bookie Mukesh Gupta. Azhar's name has also been mentioned as the player who according to Additional Income Tax Commissioner Vishwa Bandhu Gupta declared Rs 16 crore under the VDIS. Azhar has also denied this allegation.

Income Tax sleuths along with their CBI counterparts raided offices and residences of national coach Kapil Dev, Manoj Prabhakar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, former ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya, BCCI treasurer Kishore Rungta, and WorldTel boss Mark Mascarenhas besides the premises of Azhar, Jadeja and Chopra during the two-day operation.

The Don demands resturant to drop his name

Adelaide, Aug 2: Cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman instructed his lawyers Wednesday to demand an Adelaide restaurateur drop plans to name an establishment after him. Law firm Allen, Allen and Hemsley has written to owner Lyn Mounsey saying Bradman is uncomfortable with his name being associated with the sale of alcohol.

The letter alleges trademark infringement, misleading and deceptive conduct and passing off a product. "Sir Donald Bradman and his family are personally very concerned about your unauthorised conduct,'' said the letter. "Our client has at all times deliberately avoided any association between the name 'Bradman' and the production, promotion or sale of alcohol and this conduct represents a grave abuse of our client's reputation and standing.''

Mounsey bought Luciano's restaurant on Burbidge Road in Adelaide in May. She planned to rename it Bradman's Cafe/Restaurant after the master batsman agreed to the road being renamed Sir Donald Bradman Drive.

Mounsey told reporters she had spent $5,500 (US$ 3,300) on signage and asked Bradman to reconsider the matter. "All my intentions were honourable right along the way. I feel fairly deflated now,'' she said.

Bradman, now 91, became a national icon during the depression years of the 1930s. Known as "The Don," his achievements are unlikely to be equalled. He scored 6,996 runs in 52 Tests from 1928 to 1948, hitting 29 hundreds and 13 half-centuries for an average of 99.94. His highest score was 334 in the first innings against England at Leeds in 1930.

Bradman had only seven ducks in Tests, with his most famous one coming in his last Test innings against England at The Oval in 1948. If he had hit one more boundary in any of his Tests he would have averaged 100. He was was born in New South Wales but has lived in Adelaide since the 1930s. (AFP)

Malik faces 10-year RI for contempt of court

Karachi, Aug 1: Disgraced former Pakistan captain Salim Malik faces upto seven years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) or cash fine upto Rs 10 million or both for his alleged remarks against Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, legal experts said.

Malik, in an interview published in English tabloid News of the World, used highly derogatory remarks against Justice Qayyum, who investigated the charges of corruption against Pakistan cricketers and on whose recommendation Malik was banned for life.

But the contempt case against Malik, which will be based on the News of the World interview, could lead the downfall of some other Pakistan cricketers as Malik has revealed many things about match-fixing.

"While Salim (Malik) will surely land behind the bars or fined heavily or both, not many cricketers will survive the latest scandal because according to the transcripts available with the PCB, he has said too much regarding his connections in the team and how to fix matches," official sources said.

According to sources, Malik has been quoted in the interview as saying which matches in the forthcoming Pakistan-England series will be fixed and how. So much so, Malik has also said in the interview which bookies he would like to deal with.

Regarding the Pakistan players, Malik has been quoted as saying that some of them can be bought at £50,000 each for their contributions in match-fixing in the series to be played between October and December.

According to transcripts, Malik was interviewed by undercover reporters in Selfridges Restaurant on April 25 and the Bombay Brasserie on April 22 in London this year.

"As regards Malik's comments against Justice Qayyum, he (Salim Malik) apparently has no defence because the newspaper would be ordered to produce the video tape for the veracity of the transcripts. The paper says it is standing on a firm pitch which appears correct as Malik hasn't sued the paper since the publication of the interview in February," sources said.

"It would largely depend on the judge what punishment he would order for Salim Malik, but Pakistan cricket would plunge into further crisis because so far the PCB officials have tried to sweep it under the carpet.

"Not only the PCB, but the ICC and some of the other cricket boards are also trying to play down the interview because Salim Malik has also mentioned some other names and the matches which were fixed."

Unconfirmed reports said during June's ICC meeting at Lord's, the video of the interview was played.

"It was then decided that this matter would not be discussed outside the (Board) room because cricket was presently going through its worst phases and it (cricket) cannot afford another turmoil which might throw the game topsy-turvy."

Justice Qayyum, according to Lahore High Court (LHC) sources, has summoned Naveed Rasool along with the transcripts of Malik's interview on Tuesday. Legal proceedings begins next week if not this week once the judge goes through the text of the interview.

BCCI presents 'action plan' to Govt

New Delhi, Aug 1: The BCCI, on Tuesday, presented the Union sports ministry a document outlining its action plan to promote the game in the new millennium. Among several points of note, participation in domestic tournaments has been made mandatory for all senior players. Long-term planning for the 2002 World Cup and improvement of infrastructure at the state level are some other salient features in the action plan.

The document called "Vision 2000" outlines the Board's policies and targets. The BCCI has decided to employ players on a contract, pay international match allowances on a gradation and performance basis, increase match fees for various tournaments at domestic level, issue a code of conduct with special emphasis on "ethical values" and reschedule itinerary of the Indian team to enable senior players to participate in domestic tournaments.

The document was presented to sports minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and his deputy Shahnwaz Hussain by a delegation comprising BCCI president A C Muthiah, secretary J Y Lele, vice-presidents Kamal Morarka and C K Khanna, former BCCI president Rajsingh Dungarpur and former ICC president and Board secretary Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The meeting, lasting nearly two hours, was described as "casual" by Muthiah, while the minister said serious issues including match-fixing were discussed. Dhindsa also rejected the BCCI demand for a time-bound probe of the match-fixing scandal, saying such a thing was not possible. The minister said he would go through the 25-page Vision 2000 and would comment in the "due course."

Muthiah said the BCCI expressed its willingness to cooperate with the government in a bid to promote the game in the country. "We told them that BCCI will spare no efforts to lift the image of the sport in the country," said Muthiah to a motley gathering of newspersons at the sports ministry's office here this evening.

Muthiah said BCCI will give the government a copy of its own code of conduct, adding that it was already being governed by those "venomous rules" laid down by the ICC. The board chief added that the BCCI code of conduct would be submitted to the government after it was ratified by its executive committee at a meeting on August 19.

"We requested the minister for a speedy completion of the CBI probe. The delay is having a demoralizing effect on our players," Muthiah said, when asked whether the burning issue of match-fixing was discussed.

About the two minister's "suggestion" that players facing accusations of match-fixing should not be taken in the national team, Muthiah said this issue was not discussed. Also not deliberated was Hussain's assertion that the BCCI would have to follow the ministry's diktats as far as the code of conduct and match-fixing scandal was concerned, as the government was accountable to the Parliament, the Board chief said.

Dhindsa said the moot point of Vision 2000 was that cricket should be cleaned of corruption and the BCCI and government should interact and cooperate with each other.

The BCCI document also includes setting up of a website, a national coaching academy, medical panel for determination of age for junior tournaments, preparation of international standard wickets, illegal deliveries panel and at least one international standard stadium in each state.

Pak jurist slams action against players on the basis of Qayyum report

Karachi, Aug 1: Former Supreme Court Judge Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim on Tuesday lashed out at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for taking action against players on the basis of an inquiry report.

"The Judge made mere recommendations and all the allegations were not substantiated and yet the PCB took action against players,'' Ebrahim told a seminar on match-fixing in cricket.

A Lahore High Court judge, Malik Mohammad Qayyum conducted investigations into match fixing allegations from September 1998 to October 1999. Following the report life bans were imposed on former captain Salim Malik and Ataur Rehman while six others -- Wasim Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis and Akram Raza -- were fined in May this year.

Ebrahim questioned the release of the report. "The findings should have been handed over to the authorities and should not have been made public,'' he said. "We have condemned no less than eight or nine top level players besides tarnishing our image in international cricket on all personal suspicions,'' Ebrahim a key Pakistani jurist said.

"There should be an inquiry on why these findings were made public,'' he said.

Ebrahim himself conducted a one-man inquiry against Malik in 1995 after Australian trio Shane Warne, Tim May and Mark Waugh alleged Malik offered them a bribe to under perform in matches played in Pakistan in 1994. Ebrahim had absolved Malik on lack of evidence after Australians refused to turn up to testify.

"Shane Warne did not turn down Malik's offer and the next day Pakistan won the Test from a difficult position,'' he said, referring to the Karachi Test in the 1994 series in which Pakistan beat Australia by one wicket.

Warne and May had alleged Malik offered them 50,000 dollars each to bowl badly on the last day of the Test.

PCB Chairman General Tauqir Zia told the seminar no country was above suspicion in match fixing. "I wonder if there is any country above suspicion in match fixing, it has tarnished cricket's image badly,'' he said.

Zia said PCB took action to clean the game. "We took actions on Judge Qayyum's recommendations for the good of cricket and like to see a pure game for posterity,'' he said.

Former PCB chief Arif Abbasi blamed South African cricket boss Ali Bacher and International Cricket Council chief executive David Richards for spreading the menace.

"Bacher and Richards deviated the guilt towards us, corruption lay in India and corrupted are in Australia and South Africa,'' he remarked. Abbasi observed match fixing was hard to eliminate. "Match fixing is a strong force, it cannot be eliminated but it can be controlled,'' he said. (AFP)

Ali Bacher to step down in October

Durban, Aug 1: South African cricket chief Ali Bacher, currently in the thick of a storm over match fixing, intends to step down from the post of Managing Director of the United Cricket Board "in a month or two".

Bacher, once contender for the position of Sports Minister in the new South Africa and one of the strongest sports officials in the country, on Tuesday, said he wanted to concentrate all his efforts on ensuring the success of 2003 World Cup, which is to be held in South Africa.

Bacher said he would leave his office "preferably on October 1", six months ahead of his retirement. "That would give me about six months in which to help ease my successor into office," he said.

Six candidates have already been interviewed for the post and a final decision would be taken by September end. "As far as I am concerned, the sooner the better," he said.

Meanwhile, UCB has been entrusted with the job of reviewing the recommendations of the King Commission of Inquiry into match-fixing allegations.

The commission, which witnessed the sensational admissions of the disgraced cricketer Hansie Cronje, will decide the fate of three other players - Pieter Strydom, Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams - under suspicion. (PTI)

Sri Lanka force SA on backfoot

Kandy, Aug 1: A superb knock of 87 from Jacques Kallis could not stop South Africa from a second innings collapse here Tuesday to leave Sri Lanka in a strong position at close on the third day of the second Test.

South Africa finished the day teetering on the brink at 192 for eight, 137 runs ahead of the hosts with two days left at the Asgiriya International Stadium. Kallis single-handedly battled againat Sri Lanka's spinners, staying at the crease for 237 minutes and hitting one six and six fours off 208 balls.

But he headed back to the dressing room after a lapse of concentration when he attempted a pull shot against a delivery from Muttiah Muralitharan. Kallis' dismissal, 13 minutes before play ended due to bad light, dealt a crucial blow to the South Africans' hopes of saving the Test and the series.

Muralitharan also bowled Darry Cullinan for six and had Mark Boucher caught at deep mid-wicket for 15 to finish the day with figures of three for 65. Kallis had support from Jonty Rhodes in a fourth wicket partnership of 71. Rhodes made 33 before he was caught off his pads by wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara off Sanath Jayasuriya.

Jayasuriya also picked up the wicket of first innings centurion Lance Klusener for four when he edged a catch to Sangakkara.

Earlier Sri Lanka, starting the day at 260 for 4, were dismissed for 308 with the last four wickets falling for eight runs. Marvan Atapattu was lbw to Shaun Pollock for a fine 120, which came in 371 minutes off 291 balls, including 15 fours. With Arjuna Ranatunga who scored 54, Atapattu added 104 for the fifth wicket.

Pollock also sent back Kumar Dharmasena and Chaminda Vaas cheaply in a morning spell that brought him figures of three for 19 off 6.5 overs. Kallis finished the innings with two wickets in four balls. Sri Lanka lead 1-0 in the three-match series, having won the first Test at Galle by an innings and 15 runs. (AFP)